1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing methods and coin identification systems. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a coin identification system and method whereby a coin image is processed to determine its type, mint date, and value against a database of known coin images.
Coin collection is a popular activity among enthusiasts and traders that has grown from a personal interest hobby that related to conservation of the coins to a more professional business with standardized grading and an open trading forum for exchange of coins amongst different parties. Where rare and valuable coins used to be collected for posterity and personal enjoyment, coin collecting has risen to the degree in which professional graders are employed to determine coin value of a specific coin for a collector to evaluate his or her portfolio and determine fair market value of the coins within a collection amongst other coin collectors. Certain coins have historical value or are sufficiently rare that the current market price of the coin is vastly greater than their earlier levels. Determining the exact value, grade, and specific type of some coins can be difficult if the coins are amongst a greater assortment of less valuable coins or if the surfaces are sufficiently worn. Identifying, sorting, and grading coins within a larger population of other coins can be a time intensive and potentially expensive proposition, particularly if a professional grader is utilized to find rare coins within a larger collection.
The difficulty with determining the existence of a valuable coin is the lack of an automated means of searching through other coins in order to determine a potential rare coin in a collection of less valuable coins. Automated coin counters existing in the prior art and in the market place have varied technologies for the purposes of counting, separated, sorting, and determining the genuineness of coins being analyzed. However, few options exist for examining coins to determine both the type, mint mark, and a potential grade of the coin between a plurality of coins. Further still, determining the exact coin type, mint mark, and potential value of a specific coin can be difficult for novice and even experienced coin collectors. The coin surface can wear over time and it may become difficult to identify and classify the coin against a reference, if a suitable reference is even available to the collector.
The present invention contemplates a system and method for identifying, sorting, and cataloging coins using an image capture means and an image processing means, whereby both faces of a target coin are analyzed against a database of known coin images, or reference images. The target coin is first separated from a plurality of others inserted into the system, whereby the coin travels through a singular coin path for both of its faces to be optically scanned or photographed. Thereafter, the image processing means analyzes the surface contours, the surfaces edges, and the shape of the coin to determine its identity and potential grade using a reference database of known coin images. If the system cannot identify the specific coin, the user is notified of a non-match, alerting the user of a counterfeit coin, a coin not available in the database, or a coin that is sufficiently worn to inhibit suitable matching. Further provided is an extension of the system, whereby the method of coin identification is extended for use as an application in a handheld device having an image capture means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to coin discriminators and coin counters. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to discriminators having diverging elements, purposes, or intentions with regard to identifying or sorting coins. The present invention utilizes an image processing system and method that can identify the make and potential value of a coin amongst a greater population, automating the process of rare and valuable coin identification for collectors. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,620 to Imura discloses a coin discriminating apparatus having a light emitting means directed toward a surface of a coin and a line sensor for capturing the reflected image pattern of the coin surface. The diameter of the coin and the reference pattern data of the coin surface are utilized to determine the type and denomination of the coin, whereby these variables are compared to image pattern data to match the reflected image to stored reference data. A magnetic sensor means can also be included to detect the magnetic properties of the coin and thus improve the means of determining the coin denomination. While the Imura device utilizes light and reference data to match coin denominations, its system and its method of matching diverge from the present invention, which utilizes photo optics and image processing to match the image with reference data stored within the system.
Another such device is U.S. Pat. No. 7,916,281 to Haddock, which discloses an apparatus for producing scattering signatures from a coin using a rotatable platform for holding the coin, an electromagnetic radiation source such as a laser, and a plurality of scattered signature collection elements such as a diode array for producing a detection signature unique to the coin for identification and evaluation thereof. The coin can be evaluated for coin grading for collectors, the coin can be analyzed to make a template for later review, and high fidelity coin identification can be processed using the Haddock means for determining ownership and identification of an exact coin. However, the Haddock system utilizes an electromagnetic radiation source as a means to analyze the coin, while the present invention utilizes an image capture and processing means. The cost and complexity of the present invention is significantly reduced when compared to the implementation and system required to utilize a laser analyzing source.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,581 to Yoshida discloses a coin discrimination apparatus that utilizes both optics and magnetic data to validate a coin and to prevent counterfeiting thereof, where specific denominations are analyzed against multiple criteria to ensure their validity. The apparatus comprises a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a reference optical data memory for storing reference optical data of coin denominations, and a reference magnetic data memory for storing reference magnetic data of the same coin denominations. The diameter and surface pattern data gathered by the optical sensor are used in conjunction with the magnetic data produced by the magnetic sensor to validate the authenticity of the coins and prevent collection of counterfeit coins. While disclosing a device that utilizes an optical scanning system and accessible memory for comparing a target coin, the Yoshida system and method differ from the present invention. The present invention relies solely on optical scanning on both faces of the coin, whereafter an image processing method is employed to verify the coin against a stored database of reference coin images for determining the type, year, and value of the coin being analyzed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,049 to Nakajima discloses another coin discriminating apparatus that comprises a light source irradiating means for illuminating the surface of a coin to analyze for surface unevenness and its surface pattern. The irradiation source is a plurality of fiber optic light sources that illuminate the coin surface. A photoelectric converting means converts the reflected light from the coin surface into electrical signals that are interpreted and analyzed to determine the genuineness and type of coin being discriminated. Similar to the aforementioned prior art devices, the Nakajima device provides a coin discriminator with diverging elements with respect to the present invention. The present invention pertains to an image capture and image processing system, whereby both sides of the coin are simultaneously analyzed for determining the coin attributes against a known database of coin reference images.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 7,743,902 to Wendell discloses yet another coin discriminating and processing system that utilizes optics as a means to determine coin validity and to count a number of coins being deposited into the system. The system utilizes a light beam emitted across a coin path having a plurality of conveyed coins traveling therealong. A corresponding light sensor measures the number of interruptions of the light sensor as the coins travel along the coin path. The interruptions are counted to determine the number of coins passing thereby, whereby the number of each denomination can be counted using their own light source and detector to count the number of coins deposited into the system. While the Wendell device is a coin discriminator using optical sensors, its purpose and its system components differ from the present invention. The Wendell device is related to counting the number of coins passing a given location after being separated, while the present invention pertains to analyzing each specific coin inserted into the system for comparing its surface edges to stored reference data for cataloging and authentication purposes.
The present invention provides a system and a method of coin identification using an image capture means and image processing means to determine the type, mint mark, potential value, and identification of the coin. The system can be deployed in a device that sorts and separates a plurality of coins within a hopper and analyzes each coin individually, or alternatively the system may be deployed using a handheld, image capture and processing device. The goal is to quickly analyze and catalog coins by matching their features against a known database of coin reference images. It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing coin identification means using a coin image processing system and method. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.